"The First Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" "The Second Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" (This book is one of the "Classics of China Ancient Fiction" series)

Author: Ling Yingchu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1995-04-01
Features: Ling Mengchu's The Second Collection of Stories That Shock the World (Er Ke Pa An Jing Qi) is another collection of fictional short stories modeled after the Stories That Shock the World (Pa An Jing Qi). These two works share the same ideological tendencies and artistic styles, so they are often collectively referred to as "The Two Bobs" in popular usage. To cater to the cultural needs of the urban class, their content also has a particular focus. A strong affirmation of human desires. The exposure of the darkness of the government and the condemnation of the crimes of corrupt officials are its two major themes. As Sun Jiaodi noted in A Study of the Origins of the Three Words and Two Shootings, "Ling's fictionalized tales excel in selecting topics, constructing imagery from a single incident. Often, the original source material in the books is merely a few dozen characters, recounting old news with little interest. In the tales, however, the narration is engaging, with thousands of words in length. The lyrical descriptions of scenery and emotions are vivid as if heard and seen. Transforming the miraculous into the mundane, changing the somber into the cheerful, their skill in creation is truly equal to that of original composition."